An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 1 eBook

grain and animal food being purchased at a fair price,
the produce of the grounds cleared would be more than
sufficient for the maintenance of the present inhabitants,
three hundred and thirty-seven of whom supported themselves
without any expense to the crown: and this might
be further secured, if cattle and sheep could be sent
there, as the former were much wanted for labour,
and the latter for a change of food; for it is certain
that sheep breed there as well as in any part of the
world, and have not as yet been subject to the distempers
common to that kind of stock. The Bengal ewes
yean twice in the thirteen months, and have commonly
two, often three, and sometimes four lambs at a yeaning;
and these have increased so much, by being crossed
with the Cape ram, that a lamb six weeks old is now
as large as one of the old ewes.

The goats too are extremely prolific, and generally
breed thrice in the year, having commonly from two
to four kids at a time.

Any number of sheep and goats, and a large quantity
of cattle might be bred here, as the cleared ground
affords the best of pasture for those species of stock.
But it will be a long time before the present stock
will be of much use, unless more are sent thither.

The want of artificers of all descriptions, and the
scarcity of labourers at public work, much retarded
the construction of a number of necessary buildings.
The island possessed the best of stone, lime, and timber;
but, unfortunately, there never had been but one mason
(a marine settler) on the island.

At Cascade Bay a great advantage had been obtained
in the construction of a very strong wharf, one hundred
and twenty-six feet long, which connects the shore
with the landing rock. At the end of it is a swinging
crane and capstern, by which boats are loaded and
unloaded with the heaviest articles; and in bad weather
are hoisted up with perfect safety.

Near this wharf, a large storehouse, and barracks
for the guard, are built. One of the great advantages
attending this work is, that no risk need be run by
ships keeping in Sydney Bay, as the landing is generally
good at Cascade Bay, when it becomes in the least degree
hazardous at the former place. And here it may
be noticed, that no casualty by boats had happened
since the lieutenant-governor’s arrival in 1791.

The utility of a well-constructed water-mill is sufficiently
obvious. From an addition of three feet to the
height of the dam, it ground twenty bushels of wheat
daily; which had removed the great inconvenience of
every man being obliged to grind his own ration before
it could be dressed. The abundance of mill-stones,
and the quantity of wood fit for millwrights’
work, with the convenient situation of the different
streams, will admit of any number of water-mills being
erected.

Two well-finished wind-mills had also been erected
by settlers, which answered extremely well.